Postal authorities are continuously seeking ways to improve address maintenance services for address quality so that move updates are reduced and so that less mail, which is processed by the postal authority, is undeliverable as addressed. Re-routing mail for delivery to a corrected address and updating address information costs the postal authority significant expense and reduces the standard of delivery for accuracy and time. Clients that use the mail for communication also want to reduce the same errors in addresses since they want fast delivery and want to minimize the number of pieces that are not deliverable causing a loss in the cost of the mailpiece and the postage. Currently the problems with the address information need to be corrected in the client's address list before the mailpiece is manufactured. This requires many complex processes using a variety of software address quality and address correction products. Often this means a major expense in Information Technology (IT) equipment and software changes plus operators to implement new processes within the IT department. The net result is that many clients do not make the changes needed to stay current with postal authority rules and the constantly changing address quality and move information.
Hence a need exists for accomplishing the address data maintenance services using a mail processing system, such as a sorter, a scanner, a copier or an inserter with an imaging system and printer. In order to perform address data maintenance services using a mail processing system, there exists a need for a new approach for storing and searching address run time directories as part of an address reader OCR system (AROS).